AUSTIN, Texas — The Austin City Limits Music Festival (ACL) is now underway!
The gates opened Friday, and artists have been taking the stage at one of the country’s biggest music festivals.
No matter if it's someone's first time or they're a seasoned veteran of ACL, the energy is always at a fever pitch at Zilker Park this time of year.
“Austin's a really big music city. I mean, it's been said before, but you get to really see it out here,” said Omar Sanchez, an ACL attendee. “People are excited, people love music out here. And so it's just a good vibe to be surrounded by people who appreciate it just as much as you do.”
Friday had some big headliners music fans were eager to see.
“The Lumineers would be the headliner I want to see,” ACL attendee Jacob Martinez said.
“I'm most excited to see Kendrick Lamar,” Sanchez said. “I've been a fan since like, 2012.”
Austinites at the park started introducing their kids to the Austin music scene early. Martinez said he's been going to ACL since he moved to Austin in the early 2000s, but this year, he decided to bring along his daughter, Sloan.
“She likes going to concerts, and so we're going to see how she feels about coming to a big festival,” Martinez said. “It's her first festival, so the perfect one to start at is ACL.”
ACL has also become a favorite for newer Austinites moving here.
“I moved here three years ago and, yeah, I've been here every year, since,” ACL attendee Matt Lukas said.
For many, it’s Austin's music scene that makes the city so special.
“Honestly, it's probably part of the reason why I love the city so much since I moved here,” Lukas said.